Page:Wuthering Heights and Agnes Grey (1st edition), Volume 2 (Wuthering Heights, Volume 2).djvu/363

Rh not expect him to be so silly. Hareton, if I gave you a book, would you take it now? I'll try!'

"She placed one she had been perusing on his hand; he flung it off, and muttered, if she did not give over, he would break her neck.

Well I shall put it here,' she said, 'in the table drawer, and I'm going to bed.'

"Then she whispered me to watch whether he touched it, and departed. But he would not come near it, and so I informed her in the morning, to her great disappointment. I saw she was sorry for his persevering sulkiness and indolence—her conscience reproved her for frightening him off improving himself—she had done it effectually.

But her ingenuity was at work to remedy the injury; while I ironed, or pursued other stationary employments I could not well do in inin [sic] the parlour—she would bring some pleasant volume, and read it aloud to me. When Hareton was there, she generally paused in an